Research project
Our Group is mainly focused to investigate the immune response mediated by tumor- induced dysfunctional T cells such as Senescence and Exhausted T cells. Moreover we evaluate the potential of these cells to act as modulator of other cell populations. The development of our research involves murine models of melanoma and breast cancer as well as the study of tumor samples from patients with breast cancer.
We are currently studying:
- The modulatory capacity of Tumor Induced Senescence T cells using in vitro models as well as tumors and peripheral blood from breast cancer patients.
- Tumor Infiltrating Exhausted T cells, in murine models as wells in samples from cancer patients. We are deepening in the study of molecules and signaling pathways involved in dysfunction of exhausted T cells. Specifically we are studying the modulatory activity of conventional CD4 T lymphocytes (FOXP-3 neg) and Exhausted CD8 + T lymphocytes expressing CD39, an ecto-enzyme which participates in the generation of an immunosuppressive molecule, Adenosine.
Publications (selected)
”Depletion of immature B cells during T cruzi infection: involvement of myeloid cells and cycloxygenase pathway”. E Zúñiga, E Acosta Rodríguez, MC Merino, CL Montes and A Gruppi. Eur J Immunol. 2005 Jun;35(6):1849-58.
“B cells from aged mice exhibit reduced apoptosis upon B-cell antigen receptor stimulation and differential ability to up-regulate survival signals”. Montes CL, Maletto BA, Acosta–Rodriguez EV, Gruppi A, Pistoresi-Palencia MC,Clin Exp Immunol. 2006 Jan;143(1):30-40.
“A Trypanosoma cruzi antigen signals CD11b+cells to secrete cytokines that promote polyclonal B cell proliferation and differentiation into antibody secreting cells”. Carolina L Montes, Eva V Acosta-Rodríguez, Elina I Zúñiga, Juan Mucci, Oscar Campetella and Adriana Gruppi. Eur J Immunol. 2006,jun 36 (6):1474-85.
“BAFF and LPS cooperate to induce B cells to become susceptible to CD95/Fas-mediated cell death” EV Acosta-Rodríguez, A Craxton, DW Hendricks, MC Merino, CL Montes, EA Clark and A Gruppi. Eur J Immunol. 2007. Apr;37(4):990-1000.
“Cytokines and chemokines shaping the B-cell compartment” EV Acosta-Rodriguez, MC Merino, CL Montes, CC Motrán and A Gruppi. Cytokine and Growth Factor Reviews. 2007 Feb-Apr;18(1-2):73-83. Epub2007, Mar 2.
“ Polyclonal B cell activation in infections: infectious agents’ devilry or defense mechanism of the host? Montes CL, Acosta-Rodriguez EV, Merino MC, Bermejo DA, Gruppi A. Journal of Leukocyte Biology Nov;82(5):1027-32. Epub 2007 Jul 5.
“Tumor-induced senescent T cells with suppressor function: a potential form of tumor evasion.” C Montes, A Chapoval, J Nelson, V Orhue, D Schulze, S Strome, B Gastman. Cancer Research. 2008 Feb 1;68(3):870-9.
“CD137 promotes proliferation and survival of human B cells” Zhang X, Voskens CJ, Sallin M, Maniar A, Montes CL, Zhang Y, Lin W, Li G, Burch E, Tan M, Hertzano R, Chapoval AI, Tamada K, Gastman BR, Schulze DH, Strome SE. J Immunol. 2010 Jan 15;184(2):787-95.
“Peritoneum from Trypanosoma cruzi infected mice is a homing site of Syndecan-1 neg plasma cells which mainly provide non-parasite specific antibodies”. Merino MC, Montes CL, Acosta-Rodriguez EV, Bermejo D, Amezcua-Vesely M C and Gruppi A. Int Immunol. 2010 May;22(5):399-410. Epub 2010 Mar 5.
“BAFF mediates splenic B cell response and antibody production in experimental Chagas disease”. Daniela A Bermejo, María C Amezcua-Vesely, Carolina L Montes, María C Merino, Ricardo C Gehrau, Hugo Cejas, Eva V Acosta-Rodríguez and Adriana Gruppi. Plos Negleted Tropical Disease. 2010 May 4;4(5):e679.
“Trypanosoma cruzi infection induces a massive extrafollicular and follicular splenic B cell response which is a high source of non-parasite specific antibodies” Bermejo Daniela; Amezcua-Vesely Maria; Kahn Mahmood; Acosta-Rodríguez Eva; Montes Carolina; Merino Maria; Toellner K M; Mohr, Elodie Taylor, Dale Cunningham A; Gruppi Adriana. Immunology. 2011 Jan;132(1):123-33. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2567.2010.
“Interleukin-7 inhibits tumor-induced CD27-CD28- suppresor T cells: implications for cancer immunotherapy”. Yue Zhang, Lukas W Pfannenstiel, Elzbieta Bolesta, Carolina Montes, Xiaoyu Zhang, Andrei I. Chopaval, Ronald Gartenhaus, Scott E. Strome, Brian R. Gastman. Clin Cancer Res. 2011 Aug 1;17(15):4975-86. Epub 2011 Jun 28.
“B cell response during protozoan parasite infections”. María C Amezcua Vesely, Daniela A Bermejo, Carolina L Montes, Eva V Acosta-Rodríguez and Adriana Gruppi. J Parasitol Res. 2012;
“IL-17RA signaling reduces inflammation and mortality during Trypanosoma cruzi infection by recruiting suppressive IL-10-producing neutrophils. Jimena Tosello Boari, Maria Carolina Amezcua Vesely, Daniela Andrea Bermejo, Maria Cecilia Ramello, Carolina Lucia Montes, Hugo Cejas, Adriana Gruppi and Eva Virginia Acosta Rodriguez. PLoS Pathog. 2012 Apr;8(4):e1002658. Epub 2012 Apr 26.
FcgammaRIIb and BAFF differentially regulate peritoneal B1 cell survival. María C Amezcua Vesely, Marc Schwartz, Daniela A Bermejo, Carolina L Montes, Kelly M Cautivo, Alexis Kalergis, David Rawlings, Eva V Acosta-Rodríguez and Adriana Gruppi. Journal of Immunology. 2012 May 15;188(10):4792-800. Epub 2012 Apr 18.
Tumor induced senescent T cells promote the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines and angiogenic factors by human monocytes/macrophages through a mechanism that involves TIM-3 and CD40L. Ramello, M Cecilia; Tosello Boari Jimena; Canale, Fernando; Mena, H Agustina, Negrotto Soledad, Gastman, Brian; Gruppi, Adriana; Acosta Rodríguez, Eva V; Montes Carolina L. Cell Death Dis. 2014 Nov 6;5:e1507. doi: 10.1038/cddis.2014.451.
The regulatory role of B cells in autoimmunity, infections and cancer: perspectives beyond IL10 production. Gorosito Serran M, Fiocca Vernengo F, Beccaria C, Acosta Rodriguez EV, Montes CL, Gruppi A. FEBS Lett. 2015 Sep 28. pii: S0014-5793(15)00834-0. doi: 10.1016/j.febslet.2015.08.048.